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Canada got the last hurrah at the Celebration of Light Saturday evening, closing the three-night event with a winning display. Canada was declared the winner of the event, with Brazil and China finishing second and third, respectively.

In 2003, nearly 40,000 vehicles were stolen in B.C. Last year, fewer than 13,000 were taken.

Thefts from vehicles are also way down, from about 90,000 break-ins in 2003 to about 46,000 last year.

During that same period, Insurance Corp. of B.C. premiums for basic and optional insurance combined have stayed relatively flat: they haven’t gone up dramatically, but neither have them gone down by any significant amount.

It’s not because ICBC isn’t saving money on auto crime claims.

According to data provided to The Vancouver Sun by ICBC, the agency is spending 70 per cent less on stolen-auto claims, $29 million in 2012 down from $98 million in 2003.

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Claims for theft from autos — broken windows, mainly — are also down, to $17 million from $28 million

The only type of auto crime claim that hasn’t gone down is for vandalism: claims for that have stayed relatively stable at around $20 million a year.

So ICBC is saving about $80 million a year compared to what it was spending in 2003, at the height of the auto crime problem.

Why haven’t your premiums gone down?

Because, at least when it comes to ICBC claims, $80 million isn’t that much money.

ICBC spent $3.3 billion on insurance claims last year. The biggest chunk — about $2 billion — goes to people injured in car accidents, for such things as compensation for pain and suffering and helping pay for injury rehabilitation. And those costs have been steadily rising each year.

Another billion dollars goes to pay for damage to vehicles, the vast majority due to collisions.

Everything ICBC spends on auto crime claims — every smashed window, stolen hood ornament and car totalled by a meth addict — makes up just two per cent of the insurer’s total claim costs.

Which is why B.C.’s drop in auto crime, as dramatic as it has been, hasn’t made much of a dent in your insurance premiums.

Have you been a victim of auto crime? We want to hear your stories: funny, sad or unbelievable. Email reporter Chad Skelton at cskelton@vancouversun.com and tell us how auto crime has affected you. If you've got any photos that help illustrate your story, be sure to attach them to the email.